water conservation | Madrone Landscape

Landscape Moisture Manager: Greener Plants AND Lower Water Bills

Aug 21, 2023

Paso Robles Youth Arts Academy’s lawn curb strip was slowly dying off. After four weeks of Moisture Manager treatment by Madrone Landscape, the curb strip is green again!

Beating the Summer Heat: Landscape Resilience with Moisture Manager Application

Summer brings soaring temperatures, along with the potential for parched lawns and burnt plants. While increasing watering might seem like the solution, it’s not always practical and can even run afoul of water conservation efforts. In this article, we explore a quick and affordable solution to conserve water and keep your lawn and plants green: moisture management.

Going Beneath the Surface: How Moisture Management Works for Your Landscape

Moisture management starts at the plant roots. Much of the moisture in your soil evaporates before your plants can make use of it. Moisture manager applications change the game by reducing water requirements. They create a protective film around plant and turf roots that attracts and captures water molecules, storing them on the root and soil surfaces. These droplets are then gradually released into your lawn, ensuring efficient water utilization.

Safe, Effective, and Easy: The Moisture Manager Product

The product used for moisture management comes in liquid or granule form. It’s both kid- and pet-friendly and doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients that could lead to runoff or groundwater contamination. Erik Gorham, Madrone’s Operations Manager, explains that applying the granules with a whirl spreader and immediately irrigating the treated area can yield visible improvements in turf color and seed germination in just one to two weeks.

Partnering for Plant Health: Year-Round Soil Moisture Management

Madrone, with its focus on water conservation, plant health, and aesthetics, offers a comprehensive approach to moisture management. The landscape maintenance teams can collaborate with homeowners and property managers to develop a year-round soil moisture management program. In cases of dry winters, Erik suggests establishing an application schedule where the crew visits two or three times a year to maintain optimal moisture levels and break the drought cycle in plants.

Saving Water, Money, and Maintaining Beauty: The Advantages of Moisture Management

Whether you’re a homeowner or property manager, there are numerous benefits to Madrone’s moisture management services. Their detail-oriented staff not only helps you save on your water bill but also ensures a beautiful, lush landscape year-round.

Contact Us for a Resilient Landscape

To discover more about Madrone’s maintenance services and how moisture management can benefit your landscape, reach out at [email protected] or call (805) 466-6263. Don’t let the summer heat wither your plants; instead, let moisture management keep them thriving.

Fertigation: Fertilize and Irrigate All in One

Aug 30, 2022

Set it, forget it. Give plants the nutrients without all the hassle.

We’re all familiar with irrigation. It’s been a means of maintaining landscapes and growing crops for thousands of years. Applying controlled amounts of water helps supplement natural rainfall and contribute to soil moisture from groundwater.

Fertigation combines fertilization and irrigation, serving as a nutrient delivery system for landscapes. It can be used via drip irrigation, spray nozzles, and heads.

Madrone Operations Manager Erik Gorham has provided fertigation services for almost a decade. He uses the EZ-FLO products to treat a wide variety of landscape issues. To start the process, our trained Madrone team first installs a dispensing system in the valve box connected to the main line of a pre-existing sprinkler system. The unit then feeds both drip and sprinkler zones by micro-dosing the landscape with every irrigation. “You really can forget about it, because part of our landscape maintenance program includes filling the unit with fertilizer every four to six weeks,” Erik shares.

We use Red Frog Compost Teas as part of our organic fertilizer program. The compost tea improves soil and plant health by improving nutrient availability and retention in the soil. “Biology feeds the plant,” explains Erik. “Typically, what plants need is in the soil. But if your soil is depleted, the worm castings offer an excellent soil amendment that is safe around children and pets.”

Savings on labor and energy costs can quickly offset the initial investment in a fertigation system. A homeowner who lives in an area affected by drought or water restrictions may prefer fertigation because they can better manage the nutrients and water supply going to multiple parts of the growing area as well as increase water efficiency. It also gives them the ability to add nutrients directly into the root zone that may be otherwise difficult to access.

Erik sees it as an affordable investment to every landscape. “You chose your plants carefully. Help them mature more quickly and stay healthy by using this easy fertilizer system all year round.”

Learn more about our maintenance services. For more details, contact us at [email protected] or (805) 466-6263.